Maybe it’s the personal connection, the storytelling aspect or the fact that video is a memorable platform that viewers can recreate, enjoy and share. We tend to think all three and then some. And the “some” part is where your ability to connect the brand personality, the end goal (donations, brand visibility, etc.) and the target audience comes into play.

As marketers, it’s natural to try to crack the code to the viral video. In a perfect world there would be an exact formula, but the exciting part is- there isn’t one. Whether humorous, heartfelt or musical, viral videos are authentic, shareable and hold meaning.

Here are examples of a few videos that have gone viral for two very different reasons. Watch these great videos to kick off the year of video marketing (and dance a little while your at it).

High School Teacher recreates “Uptown Funk” music video:“This is a great example of how a bunch of technology students let go of their fears, trusted their teacher and got down to Uptown Funk!!!,” the Youtube caption reads.

Zach Sobiech Leaves Behind Legacy Through Song, “Clouds”:
A boy battling cancer uses his musical talents to cope with his diagnosis and continue living his life through song. Zach died of osteosarcoma on May 20, 2013 at just 18 years old.

The Twitterverse is full of organic (and more recently, targeted) customer interactions with brands, companies, sports teams, celebrities, spokespersons and the list goes on. People often use Twitter to give or receive a retweet of approval, to ask a question or to offer personal reviews of a service or product. The downside, however, is that negative customer experiences voiced on Twitter can result in a loss of sales and customer support, if left unresolved.
Why Twitter?
You may be thinking that Facebook should be included in this list when it comes to building optimal customer service. Although this channel is undeniably an important element of your company’s social presence, there are a few minor details that help Twitter stand out:

Responsiveness

The key in relationship management is to provide customers the empathy or action they seek in the quickest amount of time. To be heard or comment on Twitter, just an @, #hashtag or keyword search is needed. Simple as that. And that leads us to the next point.

Simplicity

Twitter’s 140-character limit can be a hinderance when telling a long, drawn out story, but for customers that just want a short and sweet explanation, it is the perfect solution. When you tweet, keep it short and sweet. (Maybe throw in a rhyme or two while you’re at it. Totally kidding.)

Accessibility

Mobile compatibility makes almost all of our social media channels accessible wherever we go, and tweets function almost like texting. Links also push Twitter ahead of the crowd because users can access multiple links from the same home feed if they need to look up information quickly.

Visibility

With Twitter, what you see is what you get. There is no need to access separate pages for company information because everything is visible on a scrolling timeline either as words or as links.
Because positive social interaction leads to increased sales and strong brand reputation, using Twitter as a customer service tool while keeping these 4 points in mind can mean big bucks for your business.
Anything you’d like to add to the list? Give us a shout! @findingzealots